Air-moistener.



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H. w. HARDIE.

AIR MOISTENER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I3. 1915.

1151938 PatentedAug. 81,' 1915.

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earns PATEN oraison.

ROBERT HAB/DIE, OF LARCHMONT, NEW YORK.

AIBf-MOISTENER,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. HARDIE, a citizen, of the United States, residing at Larchmont, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Air-Moisteners, of which Athe following is a specification.

This invention relates to means designed to humidify the atmosphere of a room or building. It is a well known fact that atmosphere in its normal condition should contain a certain percentage of humidity relatively to the temperature of the atmosphere, and that atmosphere at a high temperature will hold and require a larger percentage of humiditythan atmosphere of a lower temperature. When air is taken into a building from the outside during cold weather, it is of low temperature and containsnormal-ly a lower percentage of humidity than air at a higher temperature. When the air taken in from the outside of a building is heated artificially, the temperature of the air is increased but the humidity is not increased. vThe percentage of humidity relative to the temperature is materially lessene and therefore the air when so heated ecomes too dry for the health or comfort of the occupants of the room. The result is that the airbecomes deprived of humidity to such an extent as to have an injurious effect on the glands and respiratory organs of the human body, and the injurious effects of air-in that condition e'X- tend even to the furniture and woodwork of the room causing it to dry out and crack.

The principal object of this invention is to provide what may be regarded as thei ap- A proximate normal percentage of humidity relative to the temperature of the air in a room or building.

In the accompanying drawings showing one embodiment of the invention, similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a device embodying my invention, inclosed by a partially open casing, one side of which is removed. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 with one end of the casing removed. Fig. 3 is a plan of one of the trays shown in Fig. 1*, and Fig. 4f is a vertical transverse section *taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug?. 31, 1915.

Application led January 13, 1915. Serial No. 1,988.

above another, and spaced apart, each section comprising a'heater and a tray arranged 1n close proximity to its corresponding heater.

radiating members or heaters may be supported in any suitable manner, such as by means of brackets 4. Studs or bearing blocks 5 may be formed on or -placed between the heaters to aid in supporting one member on another if desired. Trays 6 are arranged between said heaters, each tray in close proximity to a corresponding heater. v The trays are preferably shallow and substantially broad, and are designed to hold and expose to the air water in any desired quantities; and to that end pockets or chambers of any suitable number, form and dimensions may be formed therein by means of corrugations or ribs 7. The corrugations also increase the area of the heating surface in direct contact with the water in the trays. The trays are preferably provided with lateral marginal ribs 8,1and an end rib 9, to prevent water from flowing off the trays at any point other than at the discharge or overiiow end.

`In the preferred form of my invention, the overflow from one tray passes on to the neXt lower tray, and if desired the discharge end of the trays may be provided with a rib or flange 10 to aid the water in drippingsections, comprising a heater and a tray,l

each heater heats the water in its corresponding tray and heats the air above the water in the tray below. And as the ca.- pacity for absorbing moisture is increased by raising the temperature of the air, the air so heated evaporates the water from the trays quickly and with a minimum expenditure of heat.

-It-is not essential that the heat radiating members,or the trays be of the construction shown and described, provided that the trays be each in close proximity to its cor responding heater, and be capable of holding a predetermined quantity of water, and in their preferred form, communicate one with another in downward sequence.

The surplus water fromthe series of trays may, if desired, overow into a tanker receptacle 11, provided with an overiow pipe 12 leadingto any desired outlet or receptacle.

To compensate for the evaporation of water from the trays a' pipe connection 13 is made between a -source of water supply and the trays, and provided with a valve 14 by means of which the quantity of water furnished to the trays may be regulated in proportion to the quantity being evaporated. from the trays, and keep the traysl filled with Water to the overiow depth. Thus at night, and at other times, when the temperature of the heat radiating members is reduced, the supply may be reduced by the valve 1li, or increased thereby, when the temperature of the heat radiating members, and consequently the evaporation from the trays is increased. The supply pipe 13 may be used in connection with a receiving tank 15 provided with perforations 16 to permit water to drip on to the uppermost tray. But that is not essential. The tank may be dispensed with, and the water delivered from the supply pipe directly on to the trays.

'Ihe trays and heat radiating members, may when so desired, be inclosed within a Casing havin openings, or an openwork construction t at will permit the air to pass through, to the desired extent.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In an air moistener, the combination of a series of heat radiating members arranged one above another, and a plurality of trays arranged respectively between said members each tray in close proximity to a correspending heater, whereby each of said heating members heats the Water in its correspending tray, and'heats the air above the Water in the tray below.

2. An air moistening apparatus comprising a plurality of sections arranged one above another -and spaced apart, each section having a heat radiating member and a tray arranged in close proximity to said member,`the trays being provided with means permitting an overiow therefrom above a predetermined depth, and means for keeping said trays supplied with water to the overflow depth.

3. In an air moistening apparatus, the combination of a plurality of sections arranged one above another, and spaced apart each section having a heat radiating member' and a tray arranged in close proximity to said radiating member, the trays being provided -With-means permitting an overflow therefrom above a predetermined depth, the bottoms of said trays being corrugated to increase the heat conveying` surface, and means for supplying water to said trays.

ROBERT W. HRDIE. Witnesses:

RALPH E. Romans, EVA PARNES. 

